Behavioural Insights Projects

SERNAC designed and tested Key Fact Sheets to help consumer decision-making on quoting car insurance. The study evaluated options to standardize the car insurance quotation sheet's design through a randomized online experiment with 3,008 consumers. Three prototypes were designed and tested in contrast to a representative quotation sheet currently provided by insurance companies in Chile to achieve this objective. Each prototype considered simplifying the language and standardization of the…

Institution: Servicio Nacional del Consumidor (SERNAC)

Team: Servicio Nacional del Consumidor (SERNAC)

Home Energy Label

Institution: Impact and Innovation Hub (IIU)- Impact Canada

Team: Behavioural Science Team

While potential voters may register and intend to vote, many registered voters ultimately do not participate in elections. In addition, previous studies have not addressed how the impact of the text messages may vary among causal voters compared to habitual voters. Casual voters are defined as those who had previously only voted in the presidential election or major elections. Habitual voters are defined as those who have a higher propensity to vote (in this case, those who voted in each of the…

Institution: Harvard Kennedy School

Team: Behavioural Insights Group

More than 480 000 people in Ile de France use an inefficient woodheating device releasing high quantities of particulate matters in the environment but do not always link air pollution and woodheating. This project aimed to inform the inhabitants about this link and encourage them to renew their ancient devices and adopt good practices around woodheating. 281 households were equiped with particulate matter sensors and the DITP compared the evolution of contamination between groups, divided in…

Institution: Direction Interministérielle de la Transformation Publique (DITP)

Team: Equipe Sciences Comportementales

SIMPLESMENTE is an acronym formed by the initials of 12 mechanisms studied by the behavioral sciences. SIMPLESMENTE is an application to simplify and support the use of behavioral sciences in public policy designs. Based on a guided script, users define a problem of interest in public policies and are encouraged to assume the user's perspective. They are invited to apply a series of references, based on evidence and international practice, to improve their understanding of the situation and…

Institution: National School of Public Administration - ENAP

Team: The Innovation Lab

Using a place-based approach and working with profiled local communities in Coventry, we prototype and test a new experimental methodology with elements of design thinking to better understand barriers to engagement with retrofit measures designed to reduce household carbon emissions and alleviate fuel poverty. We partner with Coventry City Council, a local school and artists to deliver a pilot scheme in the Radford area of Coventry and aim in future to expand the project to additional areas…

Institution: Other

Team: Lory Barile, Bret Willers (Head of Climate Change and Sustainability, Coventry), St. Augustine’s Primary Catholic School in Coventry, and artists at Real Art, Coventry.

The study aims to identify barriers and trade-offs faced by consumers when deciding whether to engage in the circular economy. In particular, it explores decisions whether to buy a more or a less durable good, and whether to have a good repaired or to discard it and buy a replacement. It establishes the relative importance of economic, social and psychological factors that govern how consumers engage in the circular economy. Finally, it proposes policy tools to enable and encourage consumers to…

Institution: European Commission

Team: JRC Competence Centre on Behavioural Insights

Rijkswaterstaat (the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) wants to induce behavioural change in several areas. The circular economy is one example. A study examined whether consumers will make more sustainable choices if they have been complimented on their past actions or behaviour that were environmentally friendly or sustainable. This proved to be the case. Why this experiment was conducted: additional incentive for sustainable behaviour Behavioural change is…

Institution: Rijkswaterstaat's Circular Economy & Waste department

The Program of Applied Research on Climate Action in Canada (PARCA Canada) combines behavioural science (BeSci) insights and methods with robust policy analysis to promote climate action. One of the main areas of focus involves the launch of a longitudinal survey that will, over time, collect data on research questions of interest to the promotion of climate action in Canada (e.g. transportation, home energy use, waste management, engagement with nature, preparedness for extreme weather,…

Institution: Impact and Innovation Hub (IIU)- Impact Canada

Team: Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU)

The aim of the project was to reduce common errors that self-employed taxpayers make when they complete certain sections of tax return form 1770, such as identifying their business category and declaring assets and liabilities. Taxpayers can make both intentional and unintentional errors. Our objective was to reduce unintentional errors associated with lack of knowledge.

Institution: Other

Team: Behavioural Insights Team (BIT)